Capacitive-touch controllers support touch buttons, sliders and wheels, helping them work through covers and reducing delays in home appliances.
Microchip Technology has introduced two capacitive-touch controllers, MTCH3380P and MTCH3240P, for display-free human-machine interfaces (HMIs). The controllers use parallel sensing to support multiple buttons, sliders and wheels while maintaining fast response times and reliable touch detection. Both support operation at temperatures up to 105°C and IEC/UL 60730 Class B functional safety certification.
The controllers are designed for home appliances, outdoor equipment and industrial applications where manufacturers want to reduce system costs and simplify HMI designs. They can detect touch through thick cover materials and when users wear gloves, making them suitable for ovens, cooktops, refrigerators, washing machines, electric vehicle chargers, parking meters and kiosks.
Both devices use 12 on-chip analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) operating in parallel to acquire data from multiple sensors simultaneously. This approach helps maintain a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduces the increase in acquisition time often associated with interfaces that use large numbers of sensors. It also supports reliable touch detection in electrically noisy environments.
The MTCH3380P supports up to 38 sensors in self-capacitance mode and 64 in mutual-capacitance mode. The MTCH3240P supports up to 24 sensors in self-capacitance mode and 32 in mutual-capacitance mode.
The devices are the first controllers in Microchip’s turnkey capacitive-touch portfolio to incorporate parallel sensing for buttons, sliders and wheels. Their ability to operate through protective covers and in cold-weather conditions also makes them suitable for outdoor interfaces exposed to challenging environments.
“Manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce system cost while still delivering intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces. As display-free HMIs incorporate more touch controls, maintaining responsive and reliable touch performance becomes increasingly challenging,” said Giovanni Fontana, senior director of Microchip’s human machine interface division. “Our MTCH3380P and MTCH3240P controllers address the touch-sensing challenges associated with display-free interfaces by delivering fast touch acquisition and high signal-to-noise ratio, helping enable responsive, reliable operation even in demanding applications.”
Click here for the original announcement.
